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Men's Soccer Gets Six Awards In AMCC

PITTSBURGH, PA – The 2012 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference All-Conference soccer teams were released today and for the first time in the program’s history, the Hilbert College men’s soccer team was rewarded with six individual awards. Recognized this season were Jon Davison,Mike Gee, James Knapp, Jordan Lynch,Mario Williams and head coach Jeff Panik. As a team, the 2012 Hawks battled all season and finished with a 7-9-1 overall and a 5-4 AMCC mark, earning the program’s first ever AMCC post-season play-off game as the number 5 seeded team.

Named to the 1st Team as well as the Newcomer of the Year was freshman Mario Williams. The Brampton, Ontario, Canada native led the Hawks in scoring, earning 25 points off a combination of nine goals and seven assists. His poise on the ball and distribution were critical in possession and in creating scoring chances for Hilbert. Williams finished the year with 64 shots on goal (30 on frame) and was ranked 3rd in the conference in shots per game and 4th in assists per game his rookie season. On October 1st, the talented midfielder was named as the AMCC Offensive Player of the Week for his seven point performance in the Hawks’ 2-1 loss to eventual AMCC champions, Medaille College, and a 6-4 victory against Greensburg.

Jon Davison and Jordan Lynch head-lined the 2nd Team All-Conference squad. These two players, combined with Williams’ foot, kept opposing team’s defense and goalies on their toes. Their ability to create shots and the strength of their boot was impressive for the two first year players in the program.

Davison’s size, pace, strength and athleticism caused defense problems. He led the Hawks with three game winning goals and was second on the team in points (18), goals scored (8) and was one of four players to start all 17 games this season. The sophomore transfer finished 10th in the conference in shots (51), and shots per game (3.00), while sitting in 8th place for goals (8) and goals per game (.47). Lynch was a major threat from either the wing or in the center of the field with his passing that created many chances that did not lead to points; he placed his hard, hooking ball in the back of the net seven times. The midfielder finished his rookie season ranked in 7th place with 56 shots of goal, and tied for 5th with shots per game (3.5) in the AMCC and carried his seven goals and two assists to 16 points for the team.

James Knapp and Michael Gee were recognized by the other nine coaches for their strong leadership in the back field for Hilbert’s turn-around season this year.

Gee was Hilbert’s stabilizer in the back. He started every game, playing nearly every minute of the season. His size, strength, and pace allowed him to shut down most offensive threats that came his way. He was also the shape holder for our back line, and the primary ball winner on any ball in the air. He was a primary reason the team had the lowest goal against average in program history. Knapp was a work horse in the back, marking the opponent’s top striker. His speed and determination made him difficult for any forward to beat. He also took on more offensive responsibility, pushing forward for three assists, all coming in conference play.

Jeff Panik, the AMCC Coach of the Year, led the turn-around charge for the men’s soccer team in just his second season at Hilbert. After suffering a 1-16-1 inaugural year, Panik changed the culture within the soccer program and led them to a respectable 5th seed in the programs first-ever AMCC play-off match with a 5-4 league record. The 2012 team claimed seven All Time Season offensive records and set the new All-Time Season goals against average of 1.92 while winning the most games in the program’s history as a Division III program.

Thirty-three soccer players and one coach are recognized for their contributions to their team’s success each year. The ten conference coaches vote for the Newcomer Of the Year, the Offensive and the Defensive Players of the Year as well as the Coach of the Year. 11 positional players make up the First, Second and Third Teams. Penn State Behrend’s Jake Gamble (Offensive) and Eric Hackworth (Defensive) received the two other individual awards.

Hilbert College, located in suburban Hamburg, N.Y., south of Buffalo, is a private four-year college founded in 1957 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition. With nearly 1,100 students, Hilbert is a dynamic Western New York college that offers career-focused majors, including one of the top criminal justice programs in the region, and more than 50 minors and concentrations. The college’s engaging, student-centered campus community offers numerous leadership, internship, and service learning opportunities from which students launch successful careers while making positive changes in their communities. The Hilbert Blueprint promotes a well-rounded student experience over four years – starting with the Foundations Seminar in the freshman year, followed by Sophomore Service, Junior Symposium, and culminating with the Senior Capstone. Hilbert has expanded its academic offerings with the college’s first graduate programs and new Accelerated Degree Programs geared to adult learners.